Nigeria’s Proforce has introduced a new armoured vehicle, the PF Hulk, designed for military troop and equipment transportation.
The company, revealing the new mine-resistant, ambush-protected (MRAP) vehicle this week, said the PF Hulk has a gross vehicle weight (GVW) of 15 tons and a protection level of NATO STANAG 4569 Level 3A/3B. This gives protection against an 8 kg anti-tank mine under any wheel and under the centre of the vehicle; ballistic protection against 7.62×51 mm armour piercing rounds; and against 155 mm high explosive shells exploding at a distance of 60 metres.
The vehicle can carry up to ten personnel, and supports the installation of weapon systems and specialized equipment. It can also tow trailered systems.
Proforce said the PF Hulk is equipped with a 360-horsepower engine, a five-speed mechanical transmission, and has a range of 1 000 kilometres.
The Hulk is the latest in a growing range of Proforce armoured vehicles. In July 2022, the company unveiled the new lightweight PF Fury vehicle, which it said is designed to cater to the needs of the Nigerian military’s infantry and Special Operations forces.
Proforce also displayed its PF Viper armoured personnel carrier, originally unveiled in 2021 as a lighter, faster and more manoeuvrable version of its Ara vehicle. The company’s flagship APC is its PF2, which has been exported to Rwanda, the Central African Republic and South Sudan (it is used for United Nations peacekeeping missions in the CAR and South Sudan). At home, the Nigerian Police Force has acquired a number of PF2 APCs, and this includes by Rivers State and Lagos State. On the larger end of the scale, Proforce’s flagship MRAP is its Ara (Thunder), which is designed and manufactured in Nigeria.
In addition to its Ara and PF2 vehicles, Proforce has a steadily growing product portfolio that encompasses land, air and sea. This includes armoured Toyota Hilux vehicles, Special Combat Vehicles (Hilux type vehicles with armour and weapons turrets), armoured patrol boats between 9.5 and 11 metres long, cash in transit vehicles (Toyota Hiace, Hilux, Isuzu etc.), armoured SUVs (e.g. Land Cruiser, Mercedes, Lexus LX570, Cadillac Escalade, Range Rover, FJ Cruiser), armoured passenger busses (Mercedes Viano, Toyota etc.) and armoured sedans.
Proforce is one of Nigeria’s leading armoured vehicle manufacturers, along with the likes of Equipment and Protective Applications International Limited (EPAIL), which is manufacturing DongFeng EQ2063 vehicles for the Nigerian military. The Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) manufactures the Ezugwu armoured vehicle, and the Nigerian Army Vehicle Manufacturing Company (NAVMC) has developed a number of local vehicle designs.
